1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a document management method, a document management system and a storage medium, for use in managing document files.
2. Prior Art
Conventionally, a document management system is known which edits image information obtained by reading an original such as a document, a drawing or the like, stores the edited image information in a recording medium, such as a magnetic disk and a magnetic optical disk, for management.
Generally, in a document management system of this kind, image information obtained by reading an original is compressed and recorded in a recording medium, such as a hard disk and an optical disk. Further, index information for use in retrieving the image information recorded in the recording medium is also recorded in the recording medium in a manner associated with the image information. Required image information is retrieved according to the index information, and the retrieved image information is read out and displayed on a display or printed on recording paper by a printer. Further, image processing operations e.g. for adding, editing, and modifying image information are executed as required.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the arrangement of software-based data processing components of the conventional document management system (filing system), for reading an original such as a document, a drawing or the like by using a scanner to store the read image information in a document database.
In the figure, reference numeral 100 designates a scanner for converting image information obtained by electrically reading an original such as a document, a drawing or the like to a digital signal by a photoelectric conversion device or the like. Reference numeral 101 designates scanner control means for controlling the operation of the scanner 100. Reference numeral 102 designates database management means for managing the image information obtained by the scanner 100 and index information concerning the image information. Reference numeral 103 designates index input means for inputting index information concerning the image information obtained by the scanner 100. Reference numeral 104 designates a document database storing the image information and the index information.
In FIG. 1, arrows between the components indicate directions of flow of information.
Referring to FIG. 1, first, image information obtained by reading an original such as a document, a drawing or the like by using the scanner 100 is sent to the database management means 102 via the scanner control means 101. Further, index information concerning the image information input by the index input means 103 is also sent to the database management means 102. The database management means 102 adds the index information input by the index input means 103 to the image information sent from the scanner control means 101 and stores the resulting information in the document database 104.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the arrangement of software-based data processing components of the conventional document management system (filing system), for retrieving desired image information from the document database by using retrieval means.
In the figure, reference numeral 200 designates a document database storing image information and index information concerning the image information. Reference numeral 201 designates a document database management means for managing the document database 200. Reference numeral 202 designates retrieval means for retrieving desired image information from the document database 200. The retrieval means 202 is capable of retrieving image information based on a retrieval condition input via retrieval condition input means 203. Reference numeral 204 designates retrieval result list management means for managing information indicative of results of retrieval by the retrieval means 202. Reference numeral 205 designates a retrieval result list in which results of retrieval by the retrieval means 202 are stored in the form of a list. Reference numeral 206 designates image display block control means for controlling an image display block 207 for displaying image information. Reference numeral 208 designates printer control means for controlling a printer 209 for printing image information.
In FIG. 2, arrows between the components indicate directions of flow of information.
Referring to FIG. 2, first, a retrieval condition of image information desired to be retrieved is input via the retrieval condition input means 203. Next, image information satisfying the retrieval condition of the image information desired to be retrieved, which is input via the retrieval condition input means 203, is retrieved from the document database 200 via the document database management means 201 by using the retrieval means 202, and information indicative of a result of the retrieval is output to the retrieval result list 205 via the retrieval result list management means 204. The retrieval result list management means 204 is capable of instructing various kinds of operations, including integration or copying of image information retrieved based on the above information indicative of results of the retrieval and output to the retrieval result list 205, according to settings of discrimination marks, and sending of the retrieved image information via the printer control means 208 to the printer 209 for printing.
However, the above conventional document management system is constructed such that a recording operation for recording image information and a retrieval operation for retrieving the image information are carried out separately from each other. Further, in the recording operation itself, a scanning operation for scanning image information and an input operation for inputting index information are each performed in a fixed manner. Further, in the recording operation, the recording of image information and the input of index information are carried out on a document-by-document basis.
Therefore, the operator is required to alternately carry out the scanning operation for scanning image information and the input operation for inputting index information, which makes it complicated to perform these operations, resulting in degraded productivity. Further, the conventional document management system is configured such that a recording operation and information indicative of a result of retrieval are not correlated with each other, so that if erroneous data is input by an erroneous operation, it is required that the recording operation is once terminated and then retrieval is carried out for correction of the erroneous data, which necessitates many operation steps and much time.
For the conventional document management system of the above-mentioned kind, there has been proposed a method of adding discrimination marks, respectively, to a plurality of documents in advance, and then collectively carrying out a processing operation on the plurality of documents with the discrimination marks added. In this method, however, since a plurality of documents are only provided with discrimination marks which are identical with each other, the processing order of the documents is indefinite. Consequently, when a plurality of documents having discrimination marks added thereto are subjected to integration, copying, or movement, the processing order of which is an important factor of the processing, there sometimes occur unexpected results, resulting in an increased possibility of wrong operations.